Man who bit off part of brother’s finger gets probation

A weeklong argument over an unpaid water bill culminated last January when Randy Santos bit about an inch off the top of his brother’s left index finger.

On Tuesday, Santos, 38, pleaded no contest to a second-degree felony assault charge and was sentenced to five years’ probation by state District Judge Jefferson Moore.

His brother, Sonny Santos, 52, told the court he was fine with his brother getting probation for the attack, “as long as he gets anger management and gets the help he needs.”

When Sonny Santos cut off the water for lack of payment, Randy Santos came to his house and was “irate,” according to court documents. Randy Santos is documented telling investigators he had been receiving notes from his brother for a week about the late payment.

Randy Santos contended that his brother pushed him first when he started yelling about the water being cut off, something Sonny Santos denied. During the shoving match, Randy Santos told police his brother “punched me and pulled down on my jaw and I closed it down on his finger. A part of his finger fell off where I bit it. I told him that a part of his finger was on the floor.”

Doctors could not reattach the severed bit of finger.

Santos has a history of family violence, according to court records that show he was arrested about three months after the finger biting incident for allegedly ordering his dog to attack his wife.

The woman went to the hospital with several large bite marks, including one that required 20 stitches.

As part of the sentencing Tuesday, Judge Moore ordered Santos to have no harmful contact with his wife or brother.

Michelle Casady is one of a team of reporters covering crime and breaking news in San Antonio and the surrounding communities. She came to the Express-News in February 2012. For three years prior to that, she covered the breaking news and criminal justice beats in Aggieland for The Bryan-College Station Eagle. She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2008 with a journalism degree and grew up in Alvin, Texas, best known as the hometown of Nolan Ryan.